NPR News: 02-02-2026 4AM EST
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, D.C., I'm Dale Willman.
What immigration changes are being discussed in Minnesota?
Federal officials have signaled a willingness to reduce the large number of immigration agents in Minnesota, but they say that drawdown will be dependent on state and local cooperation. NPR's Meg Anderson reports, meanwhile, that many U.S. citizens questioned and detained by immigration officers in recent weeks feel they were targeted.
Mubashir Khalif Hussein is suing the administration as part of a class action lawsuit, accusing it of racial profiling.
He tackled me. I told him I'm a U.S. citizen. He didn't seem to care.
In a statement to NPR, the Department of Homeland Security said, quote, allegations that ICE engages in racial profiling are disgusting, reckless, and categorically false. But Walter Olson with the Cato Institute says many legal experts are coming to a different conclusion.
This is a systematic assault on constitutional rights.
He means the rights provided under the Fourth Amendment, which protects people from being stopped without reasonable suspicion. Last fall, however, the Supreme Court ruled that, quote, apparent ethnicity could be used to determine reasonable suspicion as long as there were other factors, too. Meg Anderson, NPR News.
The partial government shutdown continues. The Senate passed a package of spending measures that would keep everything but funding for the Department of Homeland Security open until October. DHS funding would be extended for two weeks while Congress debates ICE operations. The House, meanwhile, has been in recess, but Speaker Mike Johnson, appearing on NBC's Meet the Press, says a vote can be expected soon.
Well, let's say I'm confident that we'll do it at least by Tuesday. We have a logistical challenge of getting everyone in town. And because of the conversation I had with Hakeem Jeffries, I know that we've got to pass a rule and probably do this mostly on our own. I think that's very unfortunate.
Investors will be watching for fresh clues about the job market over this coming week. As NPR's Scott Horsley reports, a tally of January jobs is due out on Friday.
Hiring has been sluggish in recent months with employers adding only around 50,000 jobs each in November and December. The Federal Reserve said this past week there were some signs the unemployment rate has stabilized, but Fed Governor Chris Waller warns the job market still looks weak. Waller says the annual revision included in Friday's report could erase virtually all of last year's job gains. Some big companies like Amazon and UPS have announced large-scale layoffs in recent days, but applications for unemployment benefits have remained relatively low. Concern about the job market is one factor driving consumer confidence to its lowest level in over a decade... More than one in five people surveyed by the conference board say jobs are hard to get.
Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
Stocks in Asia dropped on Monday over concerns of a potential AI stock bubble. South Korea's KOSPI was down by 4.6 percent. U.S. stock futures were also down, with the S&P 500 down nine-tenths, while the price of gold fell one percent. Crude oil prices were also down. This is NPR. Preparations are underway for critical testing of NASA spacecraft for the Artemis II mission to send four astronauts around the moon. As NPR's Shondelise Duster reports, NASA says fuel testing for the mission could begin later today.
Pre-launch testing, known as a wet dress rehearsal, was previously delayed because of freezing temperatures at the launch pad in Florida. More than 700,000 gallons of fuel is set to be loaded into the rocket. Launch teams will also practice removing the fuel from the rocket and will conduct a launch countdown. The four astronauts who will fly around the moon will not be on the spacecraft during the pre-launch test. The astronauts have been in quarantine in Houston to limit exposure to illnesses since late January. NASA says the chance for the Artemis II mission to launch will take place no earlier than next week.
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